Alexander Anderson-x-Reader: Sweet Irish Brougmance
by Fanfictionlover0724
Summary: In 1979, you and your teenage friend, Alex (Anderson) work for a crime ring and one day during a bust on a heroin case you get arrested and Alex feels responsible... you and him both think the other disappeared off the face of the Earth, till 20 years later you run into a familiar face...except...he's much taller, older, and hotter...but out of your reach in the biblical sense.
1. Getting Caught

You ran through the twisting narrow alleyways of London trying hard to evade the male voices behind you. Your partner Alex was running ahead due to his long legs.

"Cum on! we only 'av ter go a wee farther!"He yelled in his thick Irish accent.

"I'm tryin'! I'm not as fast as ya!" You panted as you struggled to keep up.

Two policemen yelled orders to each other as you and Alex ran, you were getting out of breath the faster you went. Alex slowed up and tried to grab your hand but you were pulled back as one of the cops managed to sneakily catch up to you and grab your wrist.

"Alex, 'elp me!" You yelled as he quickly turned his head back and tried to stop from tripping over his own feet. The other cop wasn't with his partner, and Alex turned again as you were pulled down to your knees by the cop that had your wrist

"Got ya! Now get down!" The cop said as he pulled you down, you groaned as your knees hit the cobblestone alley walkway.

Alex turned back around as he heard a reaction of triumph from behind him, he didn't have time to try and fight the cop that had a hold of you as the other one went to grab at him from behind. He ducked and slid past the other cop, he had an apologetic look on his face as a tear trickled down yours...he was going to leave you there to get arrested, but the thing is...if anyone was going to get you out of prison, it was the crime boss you both worked for...and Alex was the only one who could talk sense into him with the way he treated you.

Alex ran away as fast as he could, and the other cop started to run after him when his partner said, "Forget 'im, the one we got will tell us enough."

You cried silently as the two cops lead you away back towards the main streets and their car that was parked a few feet away from the entrance of the alley you were running through.


	2. On the Run

Alex ran as fast as he could back to the bosses lair in the undergrounds of London. He walked past the guards into the office with the password that was given to you and him as his lackies. The office was cold, dim, and in the back was a desk and chair. At the desk sat the boss himself, Heinrich Meiner.

"Boss, I 'av bad news about the drop... (reader's name) got arrested. I tried ta dodg'em an' stop'em, but only I managed ta git away." Alex's head dropped in disappointment, he knew some kind of cruel punishment was soon to follow with this news.

Meiner sat there without a sound and gave a look to his guards to step out, but that look had a more subtle meaning that Alex didn't catch onto. He stood up and walked over to the boy who stood straight as a board with his head still hung. Taking Alex's head and lifting it with his hand, Alex's eyes snapped shut out of fear.

"Zo... You zay sche kot arresded during zee drop, hmmm?" Meiner removed his hand and slapped Alex across the cheek, a red mark left behind as Alex sunk to the ground in pain.

"Aye, she wus dragged out of the alley a few streets away from 'ere. I did all I could but there were two av dem against de smaller two av us sir." Alex strained through his teeth in pain.

Meiner tapped his foot loudly against the floor and then went back behind his desk to his chair and grabbed something big and flat out of the one drawer. The two guards came back in with a wooden chair and some rope, and Alex's eyes grew wide as he was grabbed and tied down to said chair. Meiner came face-to-face with Alex and raised a cold piece of metal to his left cheek, it was a machete big enough to cause some damage.

His eyes closed shut at the cold metal's contact, and Meiner grinned evilly,

"I've never been one to forgive people for zeir mistakes, put in zis case...I don't believe vat you zay is true. Zo I'm going to give you zis fair varning," He slashed the blade down then at Alex's chin he turned it sharply so that the slash was wider at the bottom than the top.

Alex hissed through his teeth as blood poured from his cheek and onto the floor, "I'm tellin' de truth, if ya don't believe me that's yer fault...i wus dare, I know what 'appened so I came ta ya 'opin' dat if ya wanted 'er back bad enuff, ye'd git 'er out yerself."

Meiner looked intrigued, usually you _**are**_ _**always**_ together, paired for jobs, drug drops and trades, etc. Why would you have run away on your own? He looked at Alex and waved his guards to untie him, his knees hit the floor and his hand immediately went to his cheek as the blood stained it. Meiner walked over and forced him to stand to his feet.

Meiner looked at Alex with stone cold eyes, "I'm going to give you one chance to go out zere und find her...If you come back vith bail papers I vill believe you, if you don't come pack at I vill zend mein men after you for abandonment, und zen retrieve her myzelf und I don't zink you vant zat to happen."

Alex shook his head in understanding, and left to go "find" you, he knew what would happen if he went into the police office, they'd arrest him too, but if Meiner didn't want to believe him, that was his problem. Taking to the streets Alex "looked" for hours and decided he wouldn't take anymore of this. He ran back to Meiner's office and looked at the guards with a childish grin on his face.

They looked confused at first but opened the door, then Alex yelled out, "If ya want me ter give up 'er locashun...you'll 'av ta catch me first yer auld 'hosenscheisser! (A/N: hosenscheisser means coward in German but here it's said with an Irish accent)

Catching onto the meaning, Meiner yelled to the guards for them to seize Alex. As they grew closer Alex turned and bolted down the hallway of the building. They followed close behind him and he got past the front doors and out into the streets of London, they chased him for a few blocks and then stopped. Alex thought he was off the hook, but one look around and there were more goons closing in on him. ''How in de 'ell did dat 'appen?' He thought to himself in a panic.

They were from the allied gangs that worked with Meiner. Alex was cornered or at least until he saw an opening between two of them, made a quick distraction, then darted out from the blockade. Running through the city, he ran for hours out to the city's border and out into the countryside and it started to rain.

Running himself nearly to death, he was cold, his breath was ragged, and his muscles ached. Being miles out of the city border he was safe...for now. Walking sluggishly he managed to make it to an abandoned stone sanctuary on the road he had been walking, once inside he crashed against the stone cold wall as he slipped into a peaceful and on-guard sleep.


	3. The Two-sided Coin

Meiner, still pissed from the betrayal went and got you from the police station. You hadn't told them anything, but Meiner had to put on a good act (not that anyone recognized him), he walked in and the officers looked at him with his fancy gait and hands held behind his back. You sat with some cops as you saw him walking in through a one-way window and gasped, they looked his way and assumed he needed to speak to someone.

"I'll be right back sweetie." The one cop said not noticing you trembling in slight fear as he closed the door behind him.

You saw the two talking and figured Meiner had some kind of story concocted to get you out of there, even if he'd seen you or not...he wasn't sure if his little abandoner was telling the truth or not. Meiner and the cop looked towards the window and you jerked upright, which they still could not see. They walked over and the cop opened the door and lead you out calmly still ignoring your fear.

"Now, sweetie...your dad here says you have a habit of running out into the streets with your brother a lot and doing some rule breaking, where is your brother exactly?" He used a sweet tone to coax you.

Meiner glared at you, "I-I think he went home by now...didn't he dad?" You lied with an inner pain.

Meiner smiled a false smile, "Ja, darling. He's back at home und vorried zick about you, don't you zink ve should pe koing to make him feel less concerned und zat you are alright?"

"Well, if that's all...I guess we have no further questions." The cop patted your head playfully and shook Meiner's hand, then you both turned and left with Meiner's hand on your back in a "fatherly" manner.

Back at the underground office, Meiner was circling the chair you were sitting in like a tiger circles meat.

"Zo...Your partner vas telling zee truth, but his covardly abandonment of you for his own perzonal releaze from mein ovnerschip...tisk tisk tisk. Naughty...Naughty...Naughty, und zo zelfisch." He chuckled still circling.

"You're lyin'! 'e wouldn't do sumtin like that! 'e'll come back for me, I know it!" You yelled through tears gripping the sides of the chair, not knowing what Meiner could do next.

Meiner froze with an evil grin on his face, which made your eyes widen with tears running down your cheeks.

He came face-to-face with barely an inch between you, gasping as he took your cheeks in his hand. You whined closing your eyes as he inched closer to your ear, and with a warm breath he whispered,

"Vere elze do you zink he is right now...if he is not here protecting you himzelf?" Ending it with a grin and a snap of his fingers and the guards closed the door, leaving you to his tortuous whims.


	4. Flooding Memories

*TIME-SKIP 20 YEARS LATER (1979-1999)*

"Oi get back 'ere, you belong to us ya know!" One voice yelled from behind you as you ran trying not to trip, "Yeah, there's no use in tryin' to escape, we'll just have 'im come back for ya and you know he'll do worse than we will!" The other piped off.

There was a small public square close to where you were running, and a crowd in that square gathered around what seemed to be something important. You kept looking back to see how much ground was between you and your pursuers, when all of a sudden you felt a thick thud as you got a flash of white in your face and sudden pain in your head. A tall man standing about 6'3" was towering in front of you and turned around to see the two losers who had been chasing you.

"Oi, big man, let us have 'er, she's ours." The one said trying not to sound as scared as he looked.

"Yeah, we won 'er fair and square." The second said following suit.

The tall man glared at them, then finally looked down to you and gave a look through his round glasses as if to ask 'Is this true?', you understood and nodded 'no' quickly to make sure the two didn't notice.

"I see, an' 'er life is somethin' ya think ya can just claim ta own like an object?" He asked with a calm but deep, stern voice.

You clung to his coat like a child not wanting to be taken away from their parent(s), he made a choking sound in his throat as the action caught him off guard, but he was more concerned about trying to prevent a case of human trafficking from occuring, as he was a man of the lord and that was a sin in God's eyes, but they did not know that.

"And what are ya gonna do 'bout it if we decide ta take 'er from ya right now?" The first one asked coyly quickly pulling out a switch-blade pocket knife from his coat pocket. The second one again followed the actions of his buddy and pulled out a blade of his own. The tall gentleman gave a slightly demented smirk as the people in the crowd gasped and started to quickly and quietly clear the square, the gleam off the man's glasses made him look even crazier as he slid a giant bayonet out of his one sleeve and the handel landed in his hand. It had almost seemed to come out of nowhere, but you were too amazed by the slight chuckles that were sounding from behind his teeth.

"What in the 'ell!?" The first man backed off a little but still held his knife and his ground as best as he could while shaking like a leaf, with the second man literally sweating bullets as he swallowed hard.

"Mine's bigger, so...now if neither one of ya two beatniks want a taste of this holy metal, I highly suggest ya get your sorry pale asses outta 'ere, and leave this poor, young woman alone...capiche?" He said nearly hissing his words through his teeth, which still seemed to be clenched tight.

They bolted from the square shaking in their raggy sneakers, and cried out, "We'll be tellin' our boss 'bout this, you'll see!"

Sliding his bayonet back into his sleeve, seeming to make it magically stay up there. He turned back to the people who had not entirely left, but had slid back to avoid the conflict and some of the kids were beaming that such an amazing man had just scared off those meanies and saved that girl like in a fairy tale. You looked around as the people started pouring back into the square applauding both of you, him for saving you and you from being brave in the face of danger.

"Are ya alright?" He asked you calmly, you jumped at his sudden communication.

"Yeah, I'm alright...but I fear they might come back. I don't want to be alone." You said shyly while trying to speak over the applause.

"I don't have time to play babysitter, but I can take ya to a nearby shelter." He said looking back to the crowd and waving to them happily.

"I'm not askin' for a babysitter, I didn't even mean to bump into ya, Mister…? I didn't get your name." You tried to ask inconspicuously.

"Anderson, Father Alexander Anderson." He said has some people were shaking his hand and the square clearing person-by-person.

Your eyes widened with shock, "Alex-an, Alexander?" You looked at the green eyes that were behind the glasses when he finally turned to face you.

"Yeah? What of it, it's my name...always has been." He said directly to you now that the square was empty except for you two.

"Ya don't remember me...Do ya?" You slumped your shoulders a bit as your expression turned sad.

"No, I don't think I know ya...Also I don't even know your name to tell if I do." He responded with a lighthearted chuckle.

"(y/n), my name is (y/n)...Does that jog anything?" You said barely through tears.

He tapped his chin in thought as he sat down on a nearby bench, repeating your name to get the feel of it on his tongue, "Nope, can't say that it does."

"Maybe the nickname ya always called me might 'elp, (nickname)? Do you remember now?" You asked kinda swinging your arms dramatically to the sides with a flourish.

His eyes almost seemed to react, but no dice. You sighed as a single tear fell down your cheek, he noticed and reacted by wiping it off with a handkerchief he had on him, " 'ey now, there's no need to get so bent outta shape 'bout it, I'm sorry but maybe you 'ave me confused with someone else." All of a sudden you had a flashback, it was the time you talked him into getting matching tattoos in case one of you got killed beyond the point of recognition and needed a way to tell, plus they were BFF tattoos as well.

"I know this seems stupid and strange to ask, but it might be the only thing that might be able to solve this whole predicament." You said through a quiet sniffle, "Would ya mind checkin' the lower left side of your back for me?"

"I beg your pardon?!" He exclaimed.

"Look, this is a stupid request from a stranger but will ya please just humor me?" You raised your voice, but only to secure your bravery against this hulking guy.

He sighed, still unsure why this was such a big deal...he had saved you sure, but this was a step too far for a stranger to be asking of a holy man. Standing up and swishing his coat through his arm, he tugged his layers of a black dress shirt and a white muscle shirt up from his waistline to reveal a pale spot where it seemed an image used to be.

"I-It's not there, where did it go?" You whispered as you started to tear up that it wasn't there.

"So, I guess that proves it, eh?" He said tucking them back in, "I guess I'm not the person you thought I was, is there anything else you needed?"

Your eyes scanned side to side thinking of something to do to make him remember, then you got it… "What if I show you mine?" Your face beamed.

He waved his hands defensively, "Hold on a minuet now, there's no need for that... I obliged by showing my back there's no need to show any of yourself to me."

You quickly showed him your upper right shoulder and there was a tattoo of a rose inked in red crossed under a black switchblade with three drops of red blood from the tip, "There! Does that bring back any memories?" You practically shoved your shoulder in his face trying to make your point.

He backed up with a wide expression at seeing the design, "Th-that tattoo, where did ya get that design?" He questioned with a hint of worried intrigue.

"Ya do remember! I knew ya would!" You were finally, hopefully getting somewhere. He slid back down onto the bench with an expression of defeat and a flashback sparked across his memory...a memory he desperately tried forgetting.


	5. Flashbacks are Stories in Themselves

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p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Hellooo…(y/n)? Are ya still with me?" Alex waved his hand across your eyes./p  
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p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Alex saw the rose and sighed, "If I get ya that rose, you get me a new knife...deal?" He put his hand out for a deal-sealing shake./p  
p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""No...no I don't think either of us could afford gifts like those with what little money we got." You replied sadly, but then you remembered something about the drunk that grabbed you, "Tattoos!" You exclaimed./p  
p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Wha?" Alex questioned, "Tattoos? What gave you that idea?"/p  
p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""The drunk that you slashed, he had a tattoo...why don't we get one that means something to just us, plus if anything happens we'll be able to tell if it's us!" You piped up./p  
p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Alex tapped his chin thoughtfully, "But we're not legally old enough ta get tattoos."/p  
p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Meiner has some shops that if we show proof that we're under him maybe they'll do it." You added in defense./p  
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p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"You knew exactly what they would be...now all you had to do was find one of Meiner's underground-run tattoo parlours that would do them. You pulled Alex through the narrow crowd and streets and found one of Meiner's parlours and Alex told them who you both worked for and the guy at the desk took you both to the back room where you sat next to each other holding hands as you got your tattoos in your chosen places, yours on your right shoulder and Alex's on his back against the left of his waistline./p  
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	6. Sudden Realizations

"...'Ello? Alex?" Yoo-hoo, are you with me?" You waved your hand in front of his face.

He blinked and his head shook as his attention fazed back into reality. You lowered your hand back down and started at him as his expression was still blank, all you could do was wonder what had just happened that could cause such a brave man to freeze like he had just seen death itself. He slowly sunk back onto the bench he had been sitting on.

"I-I think I remember now." He stammered out of his daze putting his palms against his forehead and resting his elbows against his knees in panic as he slowly started to take harsher breaths and his eyes widened under his glasses.

"You do?" You sat down next to him with whatever little room the large man had left open on the bench.

"I mean, I think I do...I remember the tattoo, and how ya got yours but I don't remember having one meself, that's tha problem." Anderson said through his slight panic attack.

"What happened to you?" You asked him with worry, "Meiner never really told me what happened to ya after you apparently went lookin' for me." You gently placed your hand on his shoulder as not to scare him.

He sighed not sure if he could even remember that part either, all he knew was that he was saved by a priest the night he took shelter in that country-side sanctuary and some other small stuff besides that, but wasn't sure how to put it into a solid story. You looked at him with concern and cautiously rub your hand and up and down his shoulder and back, he sighed again in slight relaxation as his body tension lessened itself and his hands covered his entire face.

"I'm sorry I did this to ya, Alex...I didn't even know it was you I had bumped into when those two were chasin' me." You apologized quietly.

Anderson looked at you through his fingers and then ran his fingers through his short, blonde, spiky hair. He gave a smile towards the sky and then looked at you,

"It's alright, ya know why?" He asked you with a chuckle.

You looked at him with slight confusion as your hand stopped moving, "Why?"

"God…Has brought us back together. That's why." He smiled at you in a way you hadn't seen in what seemed like forever.

Your eyes widened, then you chuckled back with half-sincerity that he didn't pick up on, "Yeah, God did this...sure." You doubted that was the case but agreed to disagree knowing how much he had changed you didn't want to start a fight with the one person in the world you had just gotten back…

Or had you?


	7. Working past the Blame

God hadn't been on your side since the day Alex "disappeared", Meiner's abuses had gotten worse cause there was no one to protect you and he knew that. He had basically taken your soul and divided it amongst his "friends" and every time something happened you felt more and more of yourself wither away with whatever faith you had left...it was hell on earth. Alex seemed to have it easy, being part of the church he had hope and strength to protect him.

The two of you got up from the bench and walked around the town, him with his hands stoickly held behind his back which gave him an air of positivity while you walked kinda casually just not making eye contact with him or anything really. He broke the silence besides the ambience of other people,

"So...what did happen to ya after I left?" He asked with nervous curiosity fearing the answer.

You looked up at him sheepishly cause he was taller and you still couldn't really make direct eye contact, "Well...it...um…" You kept pausing not sure how well he'd take the bad with the worst of what Meiner had been doing to you all these years he'd been gone.

His green eyes scanned your face, hoping to at least get something that he could possibly make up for if he was able, "If it was that bad...I'm sorry...I wish there was something I could do ta help." He sighed with a slow close of his eyes.

Your eyes widened at his admittance...he felt guilty...a holy man of his status shouldn't feel guilt, at least you thought so. But he did, whether he remembered it all or not...the past, the present issues...or the future ones that could come up if nothing was going to change.

"Y-you're not at fault for what happened to me Alex, I just don't know who to blame...maybe myself for not getting out whenever I could or going to look for you… even if you were alive...which you are but that's not my point..." You stopped and closed your eyes with tears forming.

He took notice of your stop and turned, got down to eye level with you...he (being as strong as he is) picked you up by the arms, with sudden shock from you...and quickly carried you to a nearby alley and stood you against the wall, "Now you listen to me, (y/n)! You are not to blame for any of this...that devil Meiner is, whatever debt your parents owed that demon must be paid off by now! Now he's just keeping you for laughs and kicks, I am getting you out of this, whether in the eyes of the Vatican it is considered a sin to help the lesser fortunate!"

Your eyes were still welling, he hadn't changed as much as you thought. The tears were just dripping down your face as he stood there, chest heaving, emerald green eyes boring into your soul, his arms at his sides balled into fists. You didn't know what to say or do but you weren't scared...you couldn't be scared of the man you had re-met from all those years ago because in your eyes he was still the brave older brother type you had known the whole time.

"I…" You stopped before a thought crossed your mind, "Wait? In the eyes of the Vatican it's wrong to help the poor and lesser fortunate?" It kinda grinded your gears to hear him of all people say that.

His steely expression changed with those words from your mouth, "Yes, but I will find a way...I am the Paladin of the church after all." He added with a grin that you definitely recognized.

He took a rag out of the inside of his long white coat and kneeled down slower this time since he just picked you up moments ago and dried your tears (just like in the past), You chuckled as he did this and he kinda remembered this action too as he started to laugh too. You kept walking the alley in case anything else sparked emotions too harsh to deal with in public, there was no way anyone of Meiner's goons would try anything with Anderson walking next to you.

You two calmly discussed things, you more openly now that Alexander had set you straight but he seemed to draw blanks when it came to some things to do with him and the Vatican. You didn't care too much considering it was just nice to have him back...as back as he was going to be anyway, he still had the same spunk and energy as always just an older more battle worn face that you knew was due to his job as Paladin. It was going to take a lot to get even remotely back to where you were, but as safe as you felt with Anderson...it was going to be worth it in the end.


End file.
